Gold is really not good for much. Its main appeal is based on its monetary uses. That is to say, its value, like that of paper currency, is based on faith.

Well, I spent a long time in divinity school, and learned not to depend on faith for anything.

For me it is now a question of which do I want to buy for the cost of production: gold at about $1250; pieces of paper with face values much higher than their cost of production; or shares of companies whose business models are returning a nice rate of value appreciation on the cost to buy. I chose two out of three.